You’ve wandered into the local whitegoods retailer to take a look at a few air conditioners. It’s a sweltering summer and the kids are on your back, so you’ve gone out to literally cool the situation down. You take a look around the store and realise there are two ‘Mitsubishi’ air conditioner brands – Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

You could be forgiven for being confused. While they both carry the Mitsubishi name, they are in fact separate companies and have been since 1921 when Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. (now Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.) spun off a factory in Kobe, Japan that made electric motors for ocean-going vessels, and became a new company called Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. From this time both companies continued to manufacture their own unique products. In this report we review their air con offerings, to help you find the perfect appliance for your home.

Split System

This is the most common type of air conditioner, where the cooling and fan system is based inside, and the other components are outside. Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are both well represented in this product category.

Brand/Model

Price

Mitsubishi Electric(Courtesy of Harvey Norman)

2.5kw Signature Series

$1,299

3.5kg Signature Series

$1,399

4.2kw Signature Series

$1,699

5.0kw Signature Series

$1,899

2.5kw MSZ-GL

$939

3.5kw MSZ-GL

$1,099

4.2kw MSZ-GL

$1,399

5.0kw MSZ-GL

$1,599

6.0kw MSZ-GL

$1,799

7.1kw MSZ-GL

$1,996

7.8kw MSZ-GL

$2,598

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries(Courtesy of The Good Guys)

2.0kw

$799

2.5kw

$939

3.3kw

$1,099

5.0kw

$1,497

7.1kw

$1,749

Both brands are relatively on par with price, save for the Mitsubishi Electric Signature Series, which is completed in a piano black finish and is more aesthetically pleasing than your average air conditioner. However, if aesthetics isn’t your main concern, then some fair prices can be had from two of the leading competitors in the industry.

For Mitsubishi Electric, it is important to note that the Signature Series offers nano particle filters that can help with deodorising the room, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries offer a Photocatalytic Deodorising Filter in combination with an Allergen Clear Enzyme Filter. Both brands claim ultra-quiet operation and acceptable energy ratings. Another thing to note is that there is a rather large jump in price from the 3.5kw renditions to the 4kw bracket – save money by assessing the room you’re cooling and whether you need more than 4kw of power.

Ducted

Ducted air conditioners are most commonly found in movie theatres and office buildings, which have large rooms and halls requiring mass cooling. As such, these systems are a lot more pricy than split system models and aren’t as commonly found in homes. However, if you are building from the ground-up, a ducted air conditioner can be a great way to cool your home on those long summer days.

Brand/Model

Price

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries(Courtesy of Air Conditioning Online)

7.1kw High Static

$2,799

10kw High Static

$3,245

12.5kw High Static

$3,685

14kw High Static

$4,299

14kw 3 Phase High Static

$4,599

16kw 3 Phase High Static

$5,715

20kw 3 Phase High Static

$6,570

5kw Medium Static

$2,337

5.6kw Medium Static

$2,371

7.1kw Medium Static

$2,999

9kw Medium Static

$3,200

10kw Medium Static

$3,648

12.5kw Medium Static

$3,978

14kw Medium Static

$4,531

14kw 3 Phase Medium Static

$4,814

Mitsubishi Electric(Courtesy of Palm Tree Enterprises)

(Includes Installation)

7.1kw

$4,500

7.1kw Premium

$5,300

10kw Premium

$6,300

12.5kw Premium

$6,500

13.5kw Premium

$7,400

16kw

$9,800

17kw

$11,000

18.9kw

$11,500

22kw

$12,500

It’s evident that, in terms of size and power, Mitsubishi Electric has a more diverse range of ducted air conditioners, and with this comes a broader range of prices. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries supplies a lot of 3 Phase in High and Medium Static varieties, which is no more or less efficient. Medium Static is generally a quieter system in operation as it provides less External Static Pressure ideal for shorter duct runs. It really depends on the size of your house (the high-capacity varieties are generally reserved for the largest homes and office buildings) to determine the size and price of the ducted air conditioner you need, and whether you really need a ducted air conditioner at all. Quite simply, ducted air is a more energy-intensive and costly way to cool a house if not installed correctly.

Window-Mounted

These air conditioners are among the cheapest and simplest to install. You find space in a window pane, safely install it there, and then simply plug it in. All the components are within the one enclosure, where cool air is forced in, and the rear of the box sits outside forcing warm air outside.

Both Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have discontinued their window-mounted models, as the current trend has gone the way of wall-mounted units instead, which are typically more energy efficient and quieter. Window-mounted air conditioners aren’t called window rattlers for nothing!

Overall, window-mounted air conditioners can offer an incredibly quick and easy way to cool a room that does not require professional installation. The compromise with this is they are noisy and relatively inefficient.

The verdict

There are many factors to consider when buying an air conditioner for your home. Luckily, both Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries offer competitively priced products and are considered at the top of the industry in terms of quality and reliability. It’s hard to go wrong with either.

Mitsubishi Electric offers a Signature Series, but these design features come at a price. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries seems to have more of a no-nonsense approach to air conditioning with a narrower range of prices. Overall, it’s hard to decide between the two as they are both quality brands.